Long Cardiff Poems

Unquotable quotes: Poets, Poetasters and Platos – XXXVI

     For James McAuley – in remembrance of a memorable week in Cardiff 1965 

The greatest poet ever is NOT Homer, Lao Tse, Ovid,...

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I  continued down the driveway and then came to a stop, damn, I thought I’ve come down the wrong driveway it must be further up.Then a man appeared from behind some trees with a...

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My name is Tom Cunningham, I’m retired now but thirty six years ago I had a very strange experience that I have never mentioned to anyone until now.
It was November the seventh, nineteen eighty six,...

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She walks in the green fields in Wales
with a basket in her hands
She is picking jasmines flowers
and singing her favorite song as loud as she can

and under a big cherry tree
She sits down when she...

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In a old old rambling structure
Down on the street called Broadway
Upper floors that had been deserted
For many and many a day

Lighting a fire 
Starting to pondering
Things from long ago
Remembering songs and legends

Stories that I had...

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A big welcome to you all who’ve travelled from afar
By plane by boat and motor car
For a reunion here in Hodson bay
It will be I’m sure a memorable day.

From across the sea some have come...

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Zoe was born 1992 and is a Paralympic powerlifter,
Who was born with growth hormone deficiency,
In Ipswich, she attended East Bergholt school, lifter,
And enjoyed the Suffolk School Games, proficiency.

She tried the sport of powerlifting for the...

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ARTE MAYOR*: Neither Cricket nor Football

Is this the way to prop A-first
Sock not oval ball overhead
Slam not round ball with drumstick dead
Cut not corporate tax: the worst
Hundred millions sweat till tv burst
Swamp Super Bowl cheer-leaders'...

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On the naming of a child
Certain protocols should be followed by the registrar

Protocol one

If the chosen name is Rainbow or Honey dew
Then firstly the parents should be slapped
And given a book containing sensible names
This process...

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Wales to me is her Celtic tribal history,	
Wales to me is walks upon her shores.
Wales to me is her druids, saints, and mystery,	
the soil I tread, the salt that leaves my pores.	
	
We drove an hour...

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Jordan was born with mild Cerebral Palsy,
But took part in the 2012 Paras at just 16,
Because he was born on 12th of October,
1996, and Rio was is second Paralympics.

“Even if you don’t like school, I...

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Sometimes if you have mild Cerebral Palsy, 
You don't ever need to admit that you have it, 
‘Cos it's not obvious, only you feel the tension, 
In your arm, your hand or face, so you...

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She cries and hugs the coffin
Why he leave her alone
He walks out the door
 But never came back home

They give her a medal
And said he was a hero
But that can’t replace him
Next to her is...

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We follow the river
Along  the Taff Trail ****
Where will it lead me 
Somewhere beautiful without fail

We pass Llandaff  Cathedral
With Epstein,s statue's within
Cant say that I like it
But thats not a sin

We keep walking for miles
My dog...

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Happy


So excited with anticipation
A boy ran to his dad with glee
Today he’s getting the hunting rifle
That he wanted so badly

They went in the woods
But saw no deer’s in sight
Walking back home
He said dad I’m happy...

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In Cardiff Jail

In Cardiff Jail, grey dawn breaks on
razored walls and living-blocks of stone.
High barren landings amplify harsh slamming
gates, and emphasise the echoes of the
bosses' yells and rattled keys of doors that
only ever bang behind.
Alone...

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Rob played semi-professional rugby, 
From when he was 4 until the age of 21, 
When he got a serious spinal cord injury, 
Whilst playing that rough game spun. 

As part of his rehabilitation sessions, 
At...

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Kyron comes from Wales as he was born in Newport, 
And like his older cousin was born with achondroplasia, 
He followed Gareth into the Paralympics with purport, 
Because he’s a field athlete and also a...

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Sunday Main
Monday Main and Tuesday Main
thought that Wednsday Main was
Thursday Mean
When it came to
Friday's Money Song.
No,No...

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SING IT TO “Danny Boy”

Verse

Oh what a joke
This beer is full of water
Tastes not like beer
But something very strange
So landlord dear do tell us what you diiid
Make sure you never dooooo it again

Refrain

From pub to...

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The big debate : “What is a city ?” –
A town created by a charter
And often with cathedral church
But sometimes with an ancient abbey.

St David's, Pembroke is the smallest,
Just twelve hundred citizens
And London is by...

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Paul played table tennis as part of his rehab, 
So accepted an invitation to ‘Come and Try’, 
Which saw him selected for a German contest, 
To represent Wales ‘cos he’s from Cardiff fab.  

That...

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In June of 1886,
A German sailor tossed
A bottle with a message
Overboard, where it got lost.

The ship, en route to Indonesia,
Left from Cardiff, Wales,
The bottle an experiment
To track the currents’ trails.

A woman walking on the shore
This...

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Hollie was born with no right forearm, 
In Lincolnshire on June 26th in 1994, 
But now resides in Wales, Hengoed, 
To train at Cardiff Metropolitan Uni. 

The F46 javelin category suits her, 
And she discovered...

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Phil is a Welshman from Cardiff, basketball,
Who plays for the club the Sheffield Steelers,
On the 2nd February 1994 he was born tall,
And wears vest 11 for TeamGB, has feelers.

His classification is 3.0, he’s experienced,
‘Cos he...

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